DoReMi
by Forever Me
Summary: They say music is a representation of our life, of our soul. I've been told that my song was beautiful, but now I'm not so sure anymore. ModernAU
1. Prologue

**A/N:**

**I'm back!**

**I was working on the sequel to Quiet After the Storm, but I got a little bit stuck, and decided to write something else for a little while. This is what I ended up with, and I hope you guys like it!**

**I got my inspiration for QuATS back when I was cycling home for school, so if you pictured it as a jigsaw-puzzle, I've got the outlines done, I only have to put everything together.**

**This story is a modernAU, so I'll just tell you once: Don't like it, don't read it. Well, that actually counts for the whole story, not just the fact that it is modernAU...**

**Here's a little prologue...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own HTTYD**

**(Where's the button of the line-break-thingy?)**

_They say that music is a representation of ourselves. That every note has it's own word, and together they form your story. But everytime I think of that, I wonder what my story is. Probably some out-of-tune song, which would fit me perfectly. Outcast, useless… you name it._

My song used to be beautiful, as my mother would've told me. But she couldn't tell me anymore, and my song couldn't be beautiful anymore. I tried to compose a new song, I tried so many times, but everytime I got stuck after the first few bars. Da Capo al Fine. Start over again. Maybe this time, I would reach the Fine in complete harmony. But I staggered again. It's like somebody put a fermate where it shouldn't be, and I didn't know when to finish the note and move on to the next one.

_And it all started when my mother's song ended._


	2. Do

_Do you ever wonder how different things could be if you could just change one thing? I do. A lot._

_What that one thing would be? Well, that's easy. I would prevent that truck from ever existing. Oh wait, you don't know what I'm talking about of course. _

_Let me tell you…_

It was a rainy Friday-afternoon. I, along with every other student of Berk High - Home of the Vikings - couldn't wait to get to the bus and to get home to celebrate the weekend. I was fourteen that time. I was the typical loser: scrawny, awkward, you name it, and I was it. People liked to make fun of me, especially Steven "Snotlout" Jorgenson, along with his friends - who were also twins - Tuffnut and Ruffnut, who never wanted to be called by their original names Christian and Mary-Ann, because those names were awful. At least, that was what they thought, and everyone who dared to call them by their original names, would find their head shoved into the toilet.

This day was no exception. I was just closing the door of my locker when I heard Snotlout calling. "Hey Hiccup!"

Yep, that was me. Hayden "Hiccup" Haddock. Nobody really remembers how I got dubbed Hiccup, but it stayed, and so everyone at school - except the teachers - called me that.

I sighed. I knew it was too good to be true to be left alone today. Hands roughly grabbed my upper arms and dragged me towards the closest janitor's closet. I knew it was Ruffnut and Tuffnut. Snotlout wouldn't bother dragging me off to some place or another. I was thrown into the supply rack, and some bottles toppled over my head.

"Can't you just leave me alone?" I asked softly. The twins sniggered, and Snotlout flexed his muscles.

"Nope," he grinned, and lashed out with his fist. It connected with my jaw, and I could immediately feel the pain surfacing. _That'll definitely bruise._ I made a mental note to buy some more foundation to hide the bruises, I was running out of it. Ruffnut and Tuffnut joined Snotlout, and soon I was lying on the floor, curling up protectively.

"Pathetic," Snotlout sneered once he was done. Ruffnut and Tuffnut sniggered again, and then they left me in the closet.

I laid there for some time, letting the pain subdue a little before standing up again. I slowly and painfully walked out of the closet and towards the nearest bathroom. There I looked in the mirror at my reflection.

I looked awful. Sighing, I took the little box with foundation out of my backpack and applied a little layer on the fresh bruises. After so long using it, I became pretty good at applying it, and now no one was able to see the difference if they weren't looking very closely.

When I was done, I carefully hoisted the straps of my backpack so they were a little more comfortable, and made my way towards the parking lot, where hopefully there were still some buses ready to leave. Of course, there weren't.

Sighing, I fished my cellphone out of my pocket and dialed my mother's number.

After two rings my mum answered. "This is Valerie speaking."

"Hey, mom, it's me," I said.

"Hayden! Is something wrong?" I could clearly hear the worry in her voice. And that was why I never told her about what was happening at school. It would break her heart for sure.

"No, nothing's wrong, except that I missed the bus home," I replied.

"Again? What is it, the third time in two weeks?" my mother sighed. "Alright, I'm just finishing up here, so I'll be there in fifteen minutes, that all right?"

"Yeah, don't rush yourself," I answered. My mother worked at the local veterinarian as an assistant. She was really good with animals, and she really loved her job.

"Don't worry, I'm already done. I'll be there soon, okay?"

"Okay. Bye," I said.

"Bye, sweetheart." With that, she ended the call.

I sat down on the steps at the front of my school, looking out at the road and watching various cars pass by. Luckily there was a roof over the steps, otherwise I would be soaked. It was as if the Gods - yes, I said Gods - themselves had turned every tap available open.

For as long as I could remember, I was always attracted towards the Norse culture and mythology. I was always interested in the tales of Vikings and their rampages. I liked the Gods they believed in, and their way of living. I sorta blended their culture a bit with mine, and thus I never thought of one God, but more, and more things like that were copied from the Norse people to my culture.

I was interrupted from my musings when a silver-grey Ford drove up the parking lot. It seemed my mother had arrived. I smiled and stood up, ignoring the pain the movements brought. I quickly walked through the rain towards the car, and stepped in. It's a good thing the foundation was water-proof.

"Hey there," my mother smiled. "How was your day?"

I shrugged. It wasn't like I could tell her "My day was great! My notebooks were ruined - again -, I ate lunch next to the dumpsters and got beaten up by three bullies. Oh, and did I mention that I aced that maths test?"

Yeah right…

My mother knew I was never very talkative after school, but she just thought I was exhausted after a day full of classes. Instead, she always turned on the radio, and this time was no difference. I didn't know who was singing, and I didn't know what song it was they were singing, but it was nice. I sighed and looked out through the window, watching trees and houses pass by.

The rain was falling even harder than five minutes ago, and I wondered how long it would be before it would be sunny again. Knowing the city of Berk, it wouldn't be soon.

"What does he think he's doing?" I heard my mother murmur, and I looked up. She was watching the red truck that was coming our way. A moment later I realized it was swerving a little, and gradually moving over to our side of the road.

It was then that my mother realized that the driver lost the power over the truck, and she pushed the brakes of the Ford with all her might. The rain had made the road slippery, and even though the wheels weren't moving anymore, we were gliding forward, straight towards the truck that was advancing on us very fast.

"Hayden!" my mother yelled, and I could hear the fear in her voice very clear. It matched mine perfectly. My heart was thumping high in my throat, and my hands were clasping the edge of my seat very tightly.

Then the truck hit the car, and I knew no more.

A soft beeping sound was the first thing I heard. I felt myself lying on something soft - a bed. I didn't know where I was. Didn't know what happened. But then the pain came crashing in, and with that the memories. Me and my mother in her car, rain, a red truck, and then darkness.

With a gasp I opened my eyes, and for a moment the brightness blinded me. Once my eyes were adjusted enough, I could see that I was in a hospital. I tried to say something, but I felt something in my throat, a tube of some sort. Not knowing what it was exactly, I panicked. The beeping sped up it's pace, and not long after that the door opened and a woman clad in white I didn't know entered the room.

"Calm down, Hayden, it's okay, you're safe," she said in a soothing voice. It took a little while before I was calmed though, with the help of something the woman put into his IV-bag, I later realized.

"That's better, isn't it?" the woman - probably a nurse - asked.

I inclined my head a little, but I doubted the nurse saw it.

"Now, your father is here, but he's down in the cafeteria. Do you want me to get him?" the nurse asked. I nodded, visibly this time, wanting someone familiar is this frightening situation.

The nurse smiled and brushed my bangs out of my face before leaving to retrieve my dad. I looked up to the roof. A simple, white-tiled, typical hospital-roof.

I realized that that something the nurse gave me also had dealt with my pain, since I felt pretty numb.

With nothing else to do but wait, I started to count the tiles of the roof. Thirty-six tiles, six in a row.

I then understood why people didn't like hospitals. Even though I was only awake for barely ten minutes, I was extremely bored already. The tube was already starting to annoy me, and I really wanted to be home, with my mom and dad.

Wait…

Where was she? Where was my mother?

I tried to look around, but the tube made movements a little difficult. But I could turn my head enough to see that I was alone in this room.

The opening of the door caught my attention, and I watched my father enter the room.

My father was big. Not fat, big. He was tall, muscular, and had a beard no one could compete with. And he was the mayor of the city.

"Hayden," he said, and he sat down in the chair that was standing next to my bed. He took my hand, which seemed really small in comparison with his. "How are you feeling?" my dad asked.

I blinked, before I slowly nodded. The pain was still numbed, and other than that, I was just bored. Nothing bad. But there was one thing I really wanted to ask. "Mom?" only it sounded more like "Mmm?" Stupid tube.

It was enough for my father to understand though, and he squeezed my hand a little. I looked at his face, and I was baffled to see tears welling up in his eyes.

_No,_ I thought. _She can't be-_

"Your mother… She didn't make it Hayden." _No!_ My mind yelled. I shook my head, not wanting to believe him. Tears rolled down my face, but I didn't notice them. My hand slid out of my fathers grasped, and along with the other one I clasped the covers tightly, ignoring the soft throbbing from my right wrist.

I didn't see my father watching me, also crying. I didn't notice him gently prying my hand away from the covers and holding it again. His thumb stroked the upper side of it in a comforting manner, but I didn't notice.

"When the paramedics arrived, she was already-" my father couldn't say the word. Instead he took a shuddering breath. "You were barely alive. One of your lungs collapsed - that's why you have that tube -, and your stomach had a small tear. You have some badly bruised ribs, two broken, and a sprained wrist. And then there's your leg…" It was hard for his father to sum up all of his injuries, I could see that, and I didn't like to see my father this sad. He was always the one who never cried, who was always strong and tough.

Only then did my mind register his last words. My leg? What happened to my leg? I looked down, and felt my heart drop to my stomach. Even with the covers over my legs, it wasn't hard to miss. Where my feet should be, was only one lump. My left leg ended just below my knee.

It was gone. My foot was gone.

"Hayden, I-" my dad said. I shook my head slowly. I couldn't believe it, I wouldn't believe it. With a shaking hand, I lifted the covers of my bed, and there it was. Or rather wasn't. The stump - it sounded so strange to think of my leg as a stump - was wrapped up in a lot of gauze, making it look weirder than it already was.

"Hayden, look at me," my dad said. Slowly, I obeyed him. He cupped my cheek with his other hand, and smiled a very small smile. "It'll be okay, I promise." I shook my head. Nothing was going to be okay. My mother died, for God's sake. How could everything be okay?


	3. Re

**A/N**

**Author's note will be at the end of the chapter...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

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><p><em>Remembering the accident was hard. Dealing with the consequences was even harder. It turned out I had been unconscious for around four weeks. My mother had been buried during that time. I didn't even get to say goodbye properly.<em>

_A few days after I had woken up, the tube was removed from my body, and now I only I got a smaller one that split at the back of my neck and entered through my nostrils, giving me oxygen from the tank it was connected to. After two weeks the heart monitor was removed, leaving my room in a pressing silence._

_And finally, after three weeks, my dad was allowed to take me outside, and it was nice. But at the same time, it was not._

It couldn't have been a better day. The moment the sliding doors of the hospital opened, a warm breeze greeted me and my father. The sounds of birds chirping and cars driving on the background was a nice change. My father pushed the wheelchair I was seated in outside, and I breathed in the smells of the outside as best as I could with the small tubes in my nose. For the occasion I had been given a smaller oxygen tank that could be connected to the wheelchair, making me able to move from one place to the other without a large tank hindering me.

My dad told me I was looking better, but I couldn't say the same thing about him. I knew the loss of my mom was hard on him. They were like one of a kind, and losing her and almost losing me was the most awful thing that could happen to him, except for losing me as well. He lost some weight, that was obvious, and judging by the dark rings underneath his eyes he also desperately needed a good night's sleep. But, he was stubborn - a trait I inherited from him - and held his head high when he was in the open.

"Where are we going?" I asked. My dad didn't answer me. Instead he just kept walking, and I settled for watching my surroundings.

It soon became clear what our destination was. The gate was open, as if it was inviting us to come over for a happy occasion. But what laid behind the gate wasn't happy at all. The graves gave me a depressed feeling, and how much I'd wanted to, I couldn't shake it off. My wheelchair was pushed towards the back of the graveyard, and when I saw her place, I couldn't have thought of a better one. Right under a weeping willow, stood a white slab of stone. After being rolled closer, I could see the words written on it.

_Valerie Maria Haddock-West_

_09.17.1973 - 05.09.2014_

_Wife, Mother, Friend, Daughter._

_True love never dies._

On her grave were many flowers, and I could see lots of them were lilies, my mother's favorite. There were also candles and one small teddybear.

It was perfect. I sighed, my breath wavering, and before I knew it, I was silently crying. My dad kept standing behind me, softly rubbing my back in a comforting manner. I was sure he was crying too.

I don't know how long we'd been standing there, but I didn't care. All that mattered to me was my mother's grave, and my dad comforting me. Nothing else.

"Hiccup?" I looked up from her grave, and saw someone I never thought I would see here. Astrid Hofferson, captain cheerleader, girlfriend of Snotlout and the most popular girl in the school. I could tell she was surprised to see me, shocked even. Her gaze traveled to where I was looking before seeing her, and her eyes widened when she had read the inscription.

"Oh Hayden, I'm so sorry," she said, and I was surprised. Where was the girl who never even looked at him, who thought he belonged to the lowest scum of the school and only hung out with the cool kids? She walked towards me and knelt down so she was on eye level. She didn't seem to mind I was in a wheelchair, still sporting bruises from the accident and from the beatings I received at school, and missing a leg.

My dad let go of me, thinking that she was a friend of mine, and went to sit on a bench, silently mourning his wife.

"Hayden, what happened? You weren't at school anymore, and I was worried, and now I see you like this and-" she stopped herself from continuing, seeing that she was only making things worse. "Oh God, I'm sorry. I- I shouldn't be asking you all this," she said.

"It's alright," I replied softly, barely loud enough to hear, but Astrid did.

"No it's not alright. I remember when I lost my grandfather - that's why I was here, to visit him -, and it was awful. I shouldn't be asking you all this right now," she insisted.

I shook my head, and surprisingly, I wanted to tell Astrid everything. It felt like a good thing to do. So I did. Starting from the beating - not caring that Snotlout was Astrid's boyfriend, and she probably wouldn't like any bad talk about him - to where they were now. Astrid was a good listener, and I found myself wondering if there had always been another Astrid below the surface, one that only appeared when her friends weren't around.

It was hard, telling her all what happened, and I found myself crying a lot, but she was patient, and never interrupted me. I was glad for her company - even though my dad knew how awful it was to lose my mother, he sometimes just didn't understand me, because he and I had very different lives. He was a mayor, busy running the city at his best capabilities, and I was just a scrawny schoolkid, experiencing the typical teenage drama that was school.

"Hayden." I looked up to see my father standing next to me. "It's time to go back," he said softly. I only nodded, and gave one last look at my mother's grave.

Astrid took my hand and squeezed it gently. "I'll visit you," she promised, and then did something that caught me completely off guard.

She hugged me. It was a bit awkward, due to my injuries and the wheelchair, but she hugged me. Astrid Hofferson!

After that fact had settled in my mind, I quickly returned the gesture, before my father wheeled me out of the graveyard. I looked behind me to see Astrid waving, and gave a tiny wave back before turning so I was looking forward again, a stupid smile plastered on my face.

"Nice girl. Is she a friend?" my dad asked.

"Nah, classmate," I answered, shrugging as much as my injuries allowed me. And, while I still smiled that stupid smile, I wondered. Was she really just a classmate? Or was she more?

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><p><strong>AN**

**As you can see, the chapters aren't equally long, and I'm afraid they won't be either. What I write has to fit within the chapter, and sometimes it's just too much for it. Well, this was chapter Re, I hope you liked it!**

**My thanks to _YourReviewFriend _****and _Phoenixofmyth_ for their reviews! And of course thanks to those who have followed/favored read this story!**

**Yes! I can get those line-break-thingies again! (Happy dance)**


	4. Mi

**A/N**

**I know, it's been a while, but here I am again! I've got nothing to say, actually, so I'll just skip to the part where I thank people... :P**

**Thanks to:**

**- ArabianDragon**

**- BelieveInYourDreams**

**- Jaffa Amazing Cakes**

**- Phoenixofmyth**

**For reviewing, and thanks to those who have favored/followed/read this story so far!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

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><p><em>Mistakes. Everyone makes them. But what defines a mistake? Could everything be a mistake? I sometimes wonder if people just call things mistakes to make themselves better, or if they truly believe they made one. But what is a mistake?<em>

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><p>"You can do it Hayden, I know no-one more stubborn than you. Well, maybe your father, but that's beside the point." Up till now Astrids pep-talk wasn't really helping. I lost months of school, and everyone expected me to pick everything up again like nothing happened. Well, I'm sorry, but things did happen.<p>

_Okay, calm down. Listen to Astrid, you can do this._ Thinking off Astrid helped me relax. She kept her promise, and had visited me every other day, bringing me homework from school to fight off the boredom. I got to learn the real Astrid, and it turned out I really liked her. I mean _like_ like her. Yes, how much of a cliché can it be? The school loser has a crush on the most popular school girl. Wonderful. And I knew that she was dating Steven "Snotlout" Jorgenson. _Way to go, Haddock._

I took a deep breath, and walked forward. In the beginning, it was hard, walking with a prosthetic. But soon I got the hang of it, and now, one could barely see me limping anymore. My dad had been proud, Astrid had even baked a cake to celebrate, and I finally forgot the accident for a moment.

When I walked in the halls, I could see from the corner of my eyes people watching me, whispering to the person they were standing next to. Probably about what happened to me. I ignored it all, held my head high. In some ways, the accident made me more sure about myself. Not everyone could say that they had almost died, but survived with a limb less. I wasn't physically strong, but mentally I was. Nothing could get me.

Except for the sight of Snotlout and the twins standing near my locker. _Okay, forget the whole "I'm tough"-stuff,_ I thought. I found comfort in the fact that Astrid was still with me, not saying a word, but calming me in a silent manner.

"Look who's back?" Snotlout said, not having seen Astrid behind me. "It's Useless! I wonder where he's been?" he asked the Twins. They looked at him questioningly. I could almost hear their brains crunching in exercise. I could see them thinking: _We don't care about him, do we?_

"Maybe he was crawling to mommy, crying his Useless heart out?" That hurt. A lot. It felt as if a hand was squeezing my heart and wouldn't let go.

"Steven!" Snotlout's eyes widened in surprise, and was that fear? Astrid came from behind me, fury blazing in her eyes. "How dare you! How dare you say that?"

Snotlout gulped. "H-honey, it… it was just a joke-"

"A joke!?" Suddenly her eyes widened, and she took a small step back. "This is what you have done every time you were 'hanging' with them," she said, and she pointed at the twins. "I can't believe you! Are you such a loser that you have to pick on somebody else to feel better? To beat them?" She was now standing right in front of Snotlout, and I could see that he was beginning to be very frightened of Astrid. I knew I would be.

"I -I'm sorry! It was a mistake!"

So all the pain and humiliation I went through, it was all a mistake? Or did he mean that I was a mistake? I couldn't help but feel disappointed. This was all he could come up with? It made everything seem like it was nothing.

"Don't you dare trying to get away with this!" Astrid yelled. "You know what? I should have done this months ago. I'm done, were through, it's over!" she said, and with that, she punched him right in the face. A crack seemed to echo through the now silent hallway, and I couldn't help but feel satisfied when I saw Snotlout's bleeding nose.

No one moved. Everybody was stunned at what they had seen. I was sure that I could hear a pin drop.

"Miss Hofferson, Mr. Jorgenson, with me please." Mrs. Riggs made her way through the crowd, and beckoned Astrid and Snotlout with her hand. Astrid complied, after giving me an encouraging look. Snotlout clearly didn't know what to think. Should he be relieved that Mrs. Riggs intervened, or should he be afraid to be in one room with his now ex-girlfriend?

I watched them leave, along with everybody else. The silence remained for a few more seconds, and then like a wave, chatter broke loose.

I just stood there, awkwardly like I always was, before I went to my locker to get my books.

"Hey," a voice to my right said. I turned and saw a boy of my age, although he was big. He wasn't particularly muscular, but it wasn't all fat on him.

"Hey," I said while I closed the door of my locker.

"You're Hiccup, right?"

"Hayden."

"Oh, right. Hayden," the boy nicknamed Fishlegs said while he shuffled his feet a bit. "I'm Fredrick, but you can call me Fred." _Huh, I wouldn't have thought his name to be Fred_, I thought. It just didn't suit him. Then again, I wasn't the one to name him.

"So… How are you?" Fred asked after a short silence.

"Fine, I guess…" I said. I wasn't exactly thrilled to be back in school. No offence, I liked learning and stuff, just not the people I was learning with. Well, except Astrid then. And this boy, Fred, seemed nice too. I wondered why I had never seen him before.

"I transferred here a month ago, and I don't think I've seen you here before," Fred said. _Aha, that explains it_.

"Nice, where were you from?" I asked.

"Well, I never really had a permanent home. My parents like to travel a lot, and I went with them. They home-schooled me. My father had an accident, and now he can't work like he used to, so they decided to settle here," Fred explained. He looked at me nervously, and I could see that he was a bit nervous to talk to me, but also wanted to very badly.

"That's really cool," I said. "Have you managed to settle here a bit?" I asked, while wondering how long Fred would be talking to me before he realized who I was and where I stood in the school rankings.

"A bit, I guess," Fred said, but he cast his eyes downwards.

"That's great." I hoisted my backpack I little higher, and went to go to my first class.

"Wait!" Fred said, and I stopped in my tracks. "Which class do you have?"

I took my schedule, since my old one had changed, and saw that I had History now. Why I hadn't looked earlier was a mystery to me, and I was glad Fred stopped me before I could make a fool out of myself and walk into the wrong class.

"I have History," I answered. Fred's face brightened, and went to walk beside me.

"Me too," he smiled.

Together we walked towards the class. Once we arrived, the students already there stopped their conversations when they saw me, and then started talking again, only now with me as their subject.

I sat down at my usual desk, and Fred went to sit at the vacant desk behind me.

"Why are they talking about you?" he asked while trying to ignore the stares that everyone was giving me.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell Fred everything, so I just settled with a brief overview. It was enough though to have Fred send my sympathetic glances.

"Hey Fishlegs, finally found someone low enough to hang with?" Tuffnut asked when he entered the room.

First, I had no idea who he was talking to, but then it became clear to me that he meant Fred.

Ruffnut, who had entered after her brother, snickered and went to her desk.

I turned around to face Fred again, and he looked almost fearfully at me, probably afraid I was going to ignore him now I knew he was being bullied. But I only smiled. "Just ignore them," I said, and then went to face the front of the room again.

I couldn't help but grin. I decided I liked the feeling of making new friends.


	5. Fa

**Hi again! I don't really have much to say (actually I never really have :P), so here's chapter Fa!**

**Thanks to:**

**- fictionadict24**

**- Angryhenry**

**For reviewing chapter 3, and thanks to:**

**- P**hoenixofmyth****

******- Greneacorple******

******- Angryhenry******

********- Arabiandragon********

********For reviewing chapter 4! And also thanks to those who have read/followed/favored this story!********

********Disclaimer: I don't own anything...********

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><p><em>Far away in the past, when I was just four, my mum took me to a friend of her. It was a bit boring, since I was the only child there, but when I was allowed to explore the house, I came upon a room that held a piano. Me, being curious as I was, knew what a piano was, but had never seen one before. I looked behind me, and could hear the voices of my mother and her friend from the living room downstairs. I closed the door, and then went to the piano. The stool was a bit high for me, but I managed to get on it. Cautiously, I pressed a key, and the tune sounded throughout the room. I quickly looked up, expecting my mother and her friend to scold me for making such noise, but nothing happened. I turned towards the piano again, and pressed the same key. I then recalled a movie I once saw with my parents. "The Sound of Music." I really liked the song Do Re Mi, so I decided I would try it on the piano. Of course, it took me a lot of tries to even get the first few notes right and in the right rhythm, but I succeeded. I knew it wasn't like the professionals, I only used my two pointer fingers, but I didn't mind. For me, it seemed like something amazing.<em>

_I was so engrossed in attempting to play the piano, I didn't notice the door open and my mother and her friend watching me, listening to the simple tune of the song._

_When I was finished, I heard clapping coming from the now open door. I swirled around, startled, and started apologizing at once._

"_I'm so sorry Miss, I won't do it again!" I said._

_But the my mothers friend laughed and said: "I would be sorry if you did. You are very good for someone without any experience." I didn't know what the word experience meant, but I knew that I was being complimented._

_I gave her a big smile, pleased with the compliment. "Thank you!" I said gleeful._

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><p>I stood in my room at home, my fingers gliding over the keys of the old keyboard. It wasn't long after that visit to my mother's friends, that my parents gave me the keyboard. I remembered the happiness I felt at the sight of it, and I immediately started experimenting with the songs I had learned at school. Later, when I was a bit older, my parents arranged piano lessons for me. For years I went once every week to the house where my teacher lived and gave lessons. It was a very nice lady, somewhere between sixty and seventy years old. She was like a grandmother to me, and I liked going to her.<p>

When I was twelve, my teacher was diagnosed with cancer, and a year later, she died. I didn't want to have piano lessons anymore, because I felt I would be replacing my old teacher. I continued playing, though, even more when the bullying began. It was my outlet, my way to shut the world out and just play.

But now, every time I saw the keyboard, I would think of my mother. It was partially because of her that I started playing. Since her death, I hadn't been playing at all. Just thinking about it made my heart clench a bit.

_Not today,_ I thought. I took a deep breath, and sat down. With my right foot on the pedal, I pressed a key. The first note of Do Re Mi, a song I hadn't played for many years.

The second key was pressed, and then the third. Before I knew it, I was playing. I escaped into my own world, where only the music existed. I switched songs, and now I was playing _Moonlight Sonata_ from Beethoven. My hands flowed over the keys in deep concentration, letting the music express the feelings that accompanied the memory of my mother.

I played the last few notes, and then turned to stand up and go to the kitchen, only to see that my way out was blocked by none other than Astrid and Fred.

The same day Fred and I became friends, I introduced him to Astrid. After assuring Fred that we were sincerely nice to him, not just to bully him, he and Astrid became friends as well, and now we three were often found together.

We stood there, not saying anything, until Astrid broke the silence.

"Wow," she breathed. "Hayden, that was amazing!" Fred nodded, speechless.

"Ehm, not to be rude… But what are you guys doing here?" I asked while I rubbed the back of my head. I was very self-conscious about my music-playing, and had not planned for anyone - besides my father - to hear it, ever.

"Oh!" Fred said, as if he was awakened from a trance. "We thought we'd pop my, for a surprise."

"Your dad let us in," Astrid said. "Didn't you hear us ring?" I shook my head.

"Well, thanks for coming, nonetheless," I said, and gestured for them to sit down. Astrid took my desk seat, Fishlegs sat down on my bed, and I still occupied the stool.

"I'll get us some drinks," I said while standing up. "One moment."

Since my room was on the lower floor of the two-story house, I didn't have to descend any stairs, which was very fortunate now that I had a prosthetic.

When I entered the kitchen, I found my dad sitting at the table, sipping his coffee and reading the paper.

"You could've warned me, you know," I said while a grabbed a bottle of soda and three glasses.

"Yeah, I could," was all my father said. He took another sip, and winked at me. I sighed before I went back to my room.

After I had pouring some soda in a glass, I handed it to Astrid. "Here you are, milady," I smiled. Then I gave Fred his glass before getting the last one for myself.

"Thanks," Fred and Astrid said simultaneously. Then, Fred launched into one of his tales, and we found ourselves happily chatting and laughing for the rest of the day.

"Hayden, you should sign up! You could beat every one out here!" Fred said excitedly, pointing towards a poster that announced the annual talent show at school. I had seen the poster before, but never considered participating. I mean, I was the number-one loser in the school, there was no way I would embarass myself like that.

But of course, every force on earth had to be against me when Fred decided to ask Astrid to help him convince me. And because I had a major crush on her, it wasn't very hard for her to persuade me.

Wasn't love supposed to be a good thing?

Fred cheered when I finally agreed to sign up, convinced that I would kick everyone else's butt. But what was more surprising was Astrids reaction. Instead of joining the cheering, she went to stand in front of me and hugged me.

Immediately the butterflies that had bothered me for a while now started to flutter in my stomach, and the feeling multiplied when she gave me a peck on the cheek before letting go.

Yes, love was a good thing.

The evening found me kneeling at my mothers grave, my hands working to pull out the weeds that were growing from the earth, arranging the flowers, making everything perfect. Once I was done, I leaned back, and looked at the stone slab which held her name.

"Hey mom," I said softly, not caring that people might think I was crazy. "It's not the same without you, you know? Everyone misses you, me and dad especially. He tried at first, but he just couldn't act like nothing happened anymore. Not that I wanted him to do that at first, because I needed his support after the accident, and him acting like he did wasn't helping at all. It made me feel like it wasn't important at all. Like you hadn't existed at all." I sighed, remembering the weeks of my recovery, and the times I tried to live with the pain and guilt of the loss of my leg and my mother, and failing big time. Every time had been when my father wasn't around, because I thought he wouldn't understand. How I wished he had been around, and felt the pain with him, instead of banning it out of his mind.

"Do you remember Astrid? Remember when I told you about her the first time I had seen her? I was seven that time. You later told me I asked you if she was an angel, and you always smiled at the memory. Well, the first time I visited you here, she was at the graveyard too and saw me. She asked me what happened, and listened to me when I told her my story. She has been a great friend, mom, as you've always said she would one day be. I only wish you would've been alive to see it…"

"Fred has been a great friend too. He moved to Berk while I was in the hospital, so I didn't know him before. He was the first one to try and become friends with me instantly, hadn't ridiculed me at all. He's a big guy of my age, has blond hair, and knows all about nature. He and Astrid actually managed to get me to sign up for the annual talent show. You never asked me to participate, but I knew you would like for me show my talent to the world. I guess it's time I did, isn't it?"

Only now realizing it was getting dark, I stood up and brushed the soot from my pants. "I have to go now, but I'll be back," I said to the grave. "Love you, mom."

Walking away, I took one glance over my shoulder, watching the grave growing smaller the further away I walked. When I had reached the gate, I sighed and stepped onto the sidewalk, making my way back home.


	6. So

**A/N:**

**Hey there! It's been a while again, I know. To be honest, I kind of became stuck at one point in this story (exams tend to cause that by having your mind anywhere but writing...), but I believe I got over that now... (as my exams, since I finished the last one this morning! Now I have no exams 'till the new year...)**

**I would like to thank**

**- Phoenixofmyth**

**- BeliveInYourDreams**

**- laloquita{dot}co (Your penname is seen as a link on this site, did you know? Probably...)**

**- Pianist (Guest)**

**- Angryhenry**

**- ArabianDragon**

**for reviewing, and everyone else who has followed/favored/read this story for doing what I just mentioned...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

* * *

><p><em>So far I've only told you about the good things. There have been bad things of course, it would've been too good to be true if there hadn't. The process of learning to walk again was hard, and took some weeks, but I never gave up, wanting to make my mother proud. It was just like when I learned to ride the bike, my mother never gave up encouraging me, and I wanted to show her that I was a big boy, so I never gave up trying.<em>

_The nightmares weren't fun either. I always saw the accident happening from different points of few. One moment I would be watching from the sidelines, the next I would be seeing it with my own eyes, reliving every emotion and feeling that went through my body._

_But the worst hadn't happened yet, I realize now._

I made it home just before it started to rain heavily, reminding me of the day the accident happened.

I closed the door softly, and hung my coat on the hangers near the door. "I'm home!" I said loudly, and went to the kitchen to get something to drink. I opened the door of the fridge and regarded its contents, finally deciding on some juice. I took the canteen and poured some in a glass before returning the canteen to the fridge.

I downed the glass and went to the sink to rinse it, my mind on the happenings of the day. I was very nervous for the talent show, even though I still had weeks to prepare. I already had an idea of what I wanted to play, but I needed to practice it again since I hadn't played it for a very long time.

A hand roughly whirling me around shook me out of my musings, and I almost lost my balance by the sudden move. I looked up to see my dad standing in front of me, his eyes slightly bloodshot. In his hand he held a bottle, and I realized he had been drinking again. A few weeks after the accident, he started drinking, probably to bury his feelings. Until now he hadn't bothered me, but it seemed like that had changed.

I quickly turned the tap off and walked around my dad, heading to the living room. I hoped that he would stay in the kitchen and leave me alone, but that wasn't the case.

"Where have you been?" he asked, a bit slurred.

I couldn't help the shudder that went down my spine, and I swallowed before replying: "I was at mum's grave."

His right eye twitched at the mention of my mother, and the grip on the bottle fastened. He took a step towards me, and I suddenly felt a bit afraid.

"Ehm, dad?" I stammered as I walked backwards slowly. My dad reeked of alcohol, and as much as I hated to admit is, I was scared of him. I was scared of the way he slowly advanced on me, loomed over me.

"If you just hadn't been that much of an idiot to miss the bus, she would've been here! Everything would've been fine!" The words hit me like a bludgeon, crushing my heart and flattening my lungs, making me unable to breathe. _Your fault! _Echoed in my head.

"Dad, n-no. You don't know what you're talking about-"

"You don't know what you're doing! Everywhere you go, disaster follows! Don't you think I have bigger things to worry about than to pity you? And now... You've ruined EVERYTHING!"

Tears started to pool in my eyes. I couldn't believe my dad was actually saying those

things to me. What had happened to the dad I knew? To the dad that always took time to tell me he loved me?

"Dad, please..."

"SHUT UP!" Then, the unthinkable happened. He slapped me. My own dad slapped me. The force knocked me down on the floor, and I just sat there, looking up at him with teary eyes.

"You're no good to anyone. You're not my son," my dad said. Then, he turned around and went to his room, slamming the door closed behind him.

It took me a while to register what happened. But once I did, I couldn't stop the tears from falling. My gaze never left the place my dad stood when he yelled at me, but I wasn't looking anymore. I was lost in my mind, which was replaying what just happened again and again.

I felt broken, angry, sad. I didn't understand it. Was this what my dad had always thought about me? Didn't he ever love me at all?

I needed to get away. Far away from here. What if my dad returned?

Standing up, I glanced one last time at my dad's closed bedroom door. Then I went to the front door and opened it, stepping out into the pouring rain.

I didn't know where I was going, and I truly didn't care. I had been walking for half an hour, mindless. I was soaked, and cold, and my body switched between shivering and sobbing. I felt pathetic. I felt worthless. My father's words kept replaying themselves in my head, crushing my heart bit by bit. I still couldn't believe it, but it had actually happened. New tears leaked from my eyes, joining the raindrops that rolled down my face.

I embraced my body with my trembling arms, hoping that they would provide some warmth, but it was futile. Cars passed me on my left, some splashing water when the drove through a puddle. I didn't care much, since I was already dripping wet.

I longed for some warmth, and I watched the housed on my right with a bit of jealousy. Those people were warm and comfortable, probably crammed together on the couch, watching television with the whole family, like my parents and I used to do when I was younger.

A few houses further in front of me, a door opened and a girl ran out, carrying the trash to the nearest bin, while trying to keep the hood of her jacket over her head with her other hand. When she put the lid back on the bin, she turned to make her way back to the house. But then she saw me, and once I was close enough for her to see my features, she gasped.

"Hayden!" I realized it was Astrid. "What are you doing outside in this weather?"  
>I didn't know what to say, but I didn't need to once Astrid saw the distress my eyes displayed.<p>

"Come with me Hayden, you'll get sick out here," she said and she gently guided me to the front door of her house. I let everything come over me, not really registering everything that was happening.

Once we were inside, Astrid closed the door and took off her jacket before leading me to the kitchen, setting me down on one of the chairs. "Mom!" she yelled, the sound causing my head to pound. "Can you get me a blanket?" she asked.

A moment later a woman who looked to be somewhere in her forties entered the kitchen, carrying a dark blue blanket. At first she was surprised to see me, but then she went into mother-mode.

"Oh dear, you must be freezing. Here, this'll make you a bit warmer," she said gently, but I just stared ahead, too caught up in my own mind to think straight.

"Astrid, who is this?" Astrid's mother asked while she tucked the blanket around me.

"This is Hayden, mum." Astrid said. "The one from the accident," she added softly. Astrid's mother nodded, before feeling my forehead.

"He's already burning up," she said. "He needs to get out of these clothes, and in something warm." Astrid's mother went back to the living room, and Astrid put a mug of tea in front of me, steam slowly drifting from the top.

Astrid's mother returned, followed by her husband, who took Hiccup gently by his shoulders and lifted him.

"Astrid, prepare the guest room for him. He needs to rest, we can call his father later that he is here," he said, and Astrid left through the hall.

"Come on Hayden, let's get you some dry clothes," he said and he gently took me to the hall, and then to the bathroom. I was already starting to fall asleep, tonights events just now catching up on me. I didn't register Astrid's father gently peeling my vest and shirt off my body, and drying me with a soft towel. He then went to my left leg, fiddling with my prosthetic before detaching it.

I wasn't even aware enough to be ashamed when he took of my pants and underwear before dressing me in other clothes.

After he was done drying my hair, exhaustion finally took me over, and I fell into blissful unconsciousness.


	7. La

**A/N**

**Here I am again! I'm sorry for updating a week too late, I hope you don't mind. It's actually pretty stupid that I haven't updated last week, because I had this chapter already written for a few weeks. I always write a few chapters ahead, so that, when something happens, I still have some chapters to update. I also got some chapters of the sequel to Quiet After the Storm ready, but in my opinion I need a few more...**

**I'm afraid I don't think I will be able to update soon again, because I need to write the last two chapters, and I'm not really in the mood right now. Yesterday my grandmother died, so I think you'll understand...**

**But I still got this chapter, so I won't bother you anymore with my babbling... Here's the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

* * *

><p><em>Later, I would be very grateful for everything Astrid's parents had done for me. The Hoffersons were really kind people, I would experience the next days. They had been there for me when I was in my dark place in my mind, and helped me get out of it. They acted like they were my own parents, something I really needed that time.<em>

* * *

><p>When I woke up, I was too disoriented to notice that I was in an unknown room, in an unfamiliar bed. A cool cloth was placed on my forehead, and it soothed the pounding.<p>

"Hayden?" a soft voice whispered, and I slowly turned my head towards the sound. I knew that voice, I was sure of it, but my feverish mind wouldn't put a face with the voice.

"Hmmmm?" I was too exhausted to form any words, it seemed.

"What happened?" the voice asked, and I racked my brain, trying to remember. A face came up in my mind, a man's face with a big beard. But because of the fever the face seemed so much more menacing, and once I realized who it was, I whimpered.

"No… Dad, please…" I mumbled, and I felt a small hand caressing mine.

When the voice spoke again, it sounded different. It wasn't just the careful voice anymore, but it also held a tone of sadness in it. "Oh, Hayden. Why does everything have to happen to you?" the voice asked.

Once again, I wanted to remember who it was that was talking, but my body decided it needed more sleep. I became less aware of my surroundings, and soon I was sleeping again.

* * *

><p>The next time I awoke, I was more aware of my surroundings, and this time I did see I was somewhere unknown to me. I sat up and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, only to realize I didn't have my prosthetic on. The movement caused my head to spin, and waves of warmth and cold came over me repeatedly. I truly felt horrible.<p>

Just then the door opened, and a man entered. He smiled when he saw me sitting up.

"Already wanting to leave?" he asked merrily. I just stared, not knowing who he was, but at the same time recognizing him from something.

The man chuckled before went to put the tray I just now realized he had been holding down. "Do you remember where you are, Hayden?" he asked, and I found myself shaking my head, not understanding why I trusted the stranger.

The man turned and pushed me gently back into the bed before stuffing another pillow behind my back so that I was sitting up slightly. "Comfortable?" he asked, and I nodded. He then took the tray, and put it on my lap. I looked down to see a bowl of delicious looking chicken soup.

"Eat, and I will explain what I know, alright?" the man asked, and as an answer I took the spoon and started to eat.

As soon as the man saw I was eating, he cleared his throat and started talking.

"My name is Evan Hofferson, and yes, I'm Astrid's father," he said when he saw my questioning gaze. "Last night, Astrid was taking the trash to the bin when she saw you. She took you inside, and there we realized that you already were starting to develop a fever. Astrid explained who you were, and we put you in some dry clothes and brought you here to rest."

"Astrid stayed with you for most of the night, and you woke up after a few hours. She tried to talk to you, but you were too feverish to have a decent talk. She managed to get some information though, and me and my wife were unsettled when we heard what it was." I looked up, having finished the soup and feeling very saturated.

"Hayden, I want to ask you something," Evan said, and I felt nervous under his piercing gaze.

"What happened to have your father hit you, Hayden?" he asked.

I froze. What should I answer? If I lied to him, I probably would have to go back, and I actually was afraid of what might happen if I did.

But if I told the truth, my dad probably would have to get help, and that would cause him to lose his job, because this would ruin his image and as a mayor you had to be practically perfect.

"Hayden, I know that he hit you. You mentioned your father, and I can clearly see the bruise," Evan said. I reached up, and knew he was telling the truth when I could feel the soreness of the bruise when I put a little pressure on it.

I still didn't say anything. To be honest, I was ashamed. I was sixteen! I should've been able to stand up against my own father. Not cower like a kid.

To my utter embarrassment, I started to cry. At first it was just silently sniffing, but when Evan embraced me in a comforting manner, the dam burst, and I found myself turned into a giant, impressive snotmachine.

I wasn't just crying because of what my father had done, but also for everything else that had happened. I'd never really given myself the chance to really progress all that had happened, but once I started, I just couldn't seem to stop, even though I really wanted to.

When finally I did stop, I was exhausted, and before I knew it, I was already asleep.

* * *

><p>This time I woke up to find myself alone in the room. I immediately noticed I felt a lot better than the last time I was awake, and deemed myself good enough to try to get out of bed.<p>

When I was standing, I felt a little bit lightheaded, but that didn't stop me. Slowly, I walked towards the door, my eyes set on the doorknob. I was already starting to think that maybe I wasn't ready enough, but I've already come this far! I wasn't going to stop now.

I opened the door, just as Astrid appeared on the top of the stairs.

"Hayden!" she said when she saw me. "What are you doing out of bed?" I was going to answer her, but a sudden wave of dizziness stopped me. Astrid, seeing me starting to sway, rushed over to help. Secretly, I was grateful for this, but I wasn't about to show that I was weak.

"You're still sick, and you need lots of rest. It's not going to help if you're running through the house," Astrid scolded, and somehow, she painfully reminded me of my mother.

Once I was laying down in the bed again, Astrid took a chair and sat down next to me.

"Fred wishes you well, by the way. I believe he wanted to come by tomorrow, but I'm not sure... I'll ask him anyway," she said, while she took another pillow to help me sit up.

"Fred?" I asked. Where would she have seen him? It was the weekend, after all.

Astrid looked at me questioningly for a moment, before smacking herself lightly on the head. "Of course, you've been asleep the whole day," she said. "It's monday now," she added when she saw my clueless look.

"Monday? That can't be possible-"

"But it's true. You slept the whole day after my father went to check up on you. I was starting to worry, you know," Astrid said, her voice softening at the last part.

"Sorry," I said, and Astrid smiled.

"It's not your fault," she said. She fiddled with her thumbs, and I knew that something else was bothering her.

"Astrid?" I asked cautiously. Astrid looked up to meet my eyes, and I silently, but kindly, demanded an explanation.

"Ehm," she started, and it was the first time I'd seen Astrid Hofferson not knowing what to say. "My parents just left to see, ehm, to see your dad." I closed my eyes. Now they would really see what a mess everything had become. I knew that they already knew that everthing wasn't as good and dandy as they thought, but still. Now they had real proof.

"Yesterday morning, he - your dad - called, asking if we knew where you were. Well, my father told him you were here, sick, and your dad wanted to pick you up immediately." I didn't know what to think. I was happy that my dad was worried about me and wanted me home, but I wasn't sure if it was the loving father that was worried, or the drunken man I had encountered saturday night.

"My parents told him that you would stay here for a while, and that it would probably be best if he wouldn't come looking for you until they said he could. They said it would be the best for both of you," Astrid said, and she looked at me worriedly, probably waiting for an outburst.

I sighed, and rubbed my closed eyes in frustration. Nothing could go normal around me, it seemed. I was grateful for what Astrid's parents were doing, but I had hoped that I could fix all the mess myself. The less people that knew about everything, the more normal everything would be.

At the same time, I felt as if I was bothering the Hoffersons. I mean, Astrid's parents didn't even know me really good, only my name, and they were already helping me as if I was very close to them.

"Are you okay? You look a bit pale," Astrid said, and she put her hand under my chin to lift my head, so that I was facing her. "Maybe you should lie down a bit, get some more sleep. You certainly need it," she said, and she softly pushed me back onto the bed. I did as she told, and soon I was tucked in again. Astrid smiled, then stood up to leave me alone. She had almost closed the door when she poked her head back in. "Before I forget, I haven't told Fred everything, just that you were ill and that you were staying with me because your father was really busy with his job," she said, then she closed the door, leaving me alone so that I could sleep.

At that moment, I was really grateful to have Astrid as a friend. Why we hadn't became friends earlier remained a mystery to me.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Before I forget, I want to thank**

**-fictionadict24**

**- Phoenixofmyth**

**- ArabianDragon**

**- laloquita**

**- Angryhenry**

**- BelieveInYourDreams**

**for reviewing last chapter, and thanks to those who have followed/favored/read this story so far!**

**Forever Me**


	8. Ti

**A/N:**

**Hey there! First of all: Sorry for not updating for so long. I just didn't feel like writing, so I didn't. No other excuses.**

**The end of this story is very near, and will be posted as well, since I wrote it in one go. I hope you'll like this chapter!**

**Thanks to**

**- Phoenixofmyth**

**- Angryhenry**

**- Albino Stingray**

**- Krillo the Singing Mushroom**

**- Lily (Guest)**

**- BeliveInYourDreams**

**- reconghost5**

**- laloquita**

**for reviewing, and thanks to those who have followed/favored/read this story so far!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

><p><em>Tiny things sometimes make the difference. Just hanging around with your friends, someone who loves you for who you are, not looking at what you've done or experienced in your past. I found that in the Hoffersons and Fred. True friends, and even though I've only known Astrid's parents for a while, I already thought of them as an aunt and uncle. After all I've been through, this is what I needed, this small thing, but at the same time so huge.<em>

* * *

><p>I stood in front of the school building, Astrid at my side, encouraging me to enter.<p>

"Come on, it's only been a few days. It's not like you're going to be an outcast for missing a few days," she said, and she tried to softly push me in the right direction.

"Are you sure?" I asked softly. "What if someone found out and told everyone?" I said, voicing my fears. "I don't want all that pity, I don't want everyone thinking I'm a loser because I couldn't stand up against my father."

Astrid sighed, and a part of me felt sorry for her. This wasn't the first time I had asked that question, but even though Astrid, her parents and Fred were convinced that no-one would know and no-one would pity me, I still couldn't believe them. I was truly afraid of the whispers, of the stares that I was sure would follow me for the rest of my life.

"Okay, that's it, we're going in," Astrid said, and she grabbed me by my arm and dragged me towards the building.

"Astrid! Wait, what do you think you are doing?" I said, while I tried to get out of her grip. Part of me wanted to hate her for what she was doing, but another part of me, a bigger part, was thankful for this, knowing that I needed to do it.

Soon, we were in the main hall, and I couldn't help but slightly tense in anticipation. But after a few moments, I still didn't hear whispers. I didn't see anyone pointing at me, or laughing at me. Everyone was just minding their own business, probably not even aware that Astrid and I just entered the building.

"Come on, we have biology first," Astrid said, and she took me to her locker to get her books before going to my locker to do the same. Just as I closed the door of my locker, the first bell chimed, signaling that the students had to get to their classes. The halls got busier, now that everyone was walking to different classrooms, and the talking grew louder. Astrid held out her hand, and I gladly accepted.

When we finally arrived at the classroom we went out of the mass of people in the hall, and went to our seats. Fred, who was also taking biology, followed soon after, and smiled when he saw me.

"Hey," he said once he had plopped down in his seat. "How are you doing?" he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Fine." I truly felt fine at the moment, now that I had school to distract me. It had been difficult to realize that my father was having problems, since he always seemed indestructible to me. But I also had much difficulty with accepting that these problems weren't my fault. Luckily, the Hoffersons were amazing help, and they didn't thought bad of me once when I was having another fit or was crying again about what happened. They said that it was all part of the process, and the fact that I apologized for the fits later on was one of the many reasons why they never gave up on me. They also said that it was okay to cry, because I had experienced much in such little time, from the accident to what was happening now, and something like that took time process.

"Great," Fred said with a smile. "So, are you looking forward to Friday?"

I first had no idea what Fred was talking about, but then a poster of the Talent Show, which was hanging next to the blackboard, caught my eye.

"Ehm, I don't know, actually," I said after a moment of thinking. "I mean, I've never done something like this before so…"

"I know you're going to do great!" Astrid chimed in. I blushed at the comment, since I knew I wasn't that good, something I'd told her many times before. But she always waved her hand, and said: "You know it's not nice to lie, don't you?" or something like that.

Before I could say anything, the teacher walked in right before the second bell chimed, signaling that classes had started, and that everyone who wasn't in the classroom yet was officially too late.

"Alright, today we're going to do something different…"

* * *

><p>All too soon, it was Friday evening. I was pacing backstage, my nerves almost getting the better of me. I could hear the talking of all the people in the audience, and I could almost imagining them staring at me, scrutinizing my every move, even though I wasn't even on the stage.<p>

Fred, Astrid and their parents were in the audience too. That made me even more nervous, since I really did not want to disappoint them. Having lived with Astrid's family for almost three weeks now made it feel like they were my family as well.

I looked at the clock, and saw that it was almost eight o'clock, almost time for the Talent Show to commence.

When I looked around, I could see more nervous students. Some girls were running through their dance moves one more time, another was doing vocal exercises softly, and another boy and girl were fine-tuning their violins, and they were only a few of the many participants.

"Welcome to the 27th Talent Show of Berk High!" the voice of the principal sounded, and an applause sounded as a response.

"We have many participants tonight, from singing to dancing, from stand-up comedy to acting, the students have a lot to show you tonight. I won't keep you waiting much longer, so put your hands together for Emily Smith!"

A girl who looked to be around fourteen years old walked nervously on the stage, her hands trembling slightly. Once she was out of my sight, the audience began to cheer even louder, as she was now on the main stage.

"So Emily, you get to be the first tonight. Are you nervous?" the principal asked, trying to break the ice a little.

"Yeah… a bit," I could hear Emily say in a soft voice.

"So, tell me, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to sing Spider's Web from Katie Melua," Emily responded, sounding a little more confident now that she was getting used to be on the stage.

"Well, I think we can't wait to hear it, so good luck!" the principal said, and again the audience applauded.

Then, the music started, and after the intro Emily began to sang. It was truly magnificent, and I found myself listening to it with my eyes closed, completely immersed in the song.

Emily wasn't the only one who had a great act. I found myself laughing very much at the stand-up comedy act, and the violin-duet was absolutely amazing to listen to.

I watched as many more people walked up the stage and I realized what talented students there were in this school. I sure couldn't imagine myself the be among those kids.

It seemed as if only a few minutes had passed when my name was announced. I walked up the stage, and was greeted by cheering and applause from the audience. Once I had reached the principal, I turned to face the public, but once I saw the lights, I was remembered by the lights of the red truck, and my breath caught in my throat.

"What does he think he's doing?" I heard my mom say, and I felt like I was trapped in the memory. A red truck was coming our way, swerving because of the slippery road. The driver had lost control.

My mom pushed the brakes, but we still slipped. The truck advanced, the lights of it getting brighter and brighter, and the last thing I heard was my mother screaming my name.

I shook my head slightly, trying to push the memory to the back of my mind. Luckily, it seemed like no-one noticed me spacing out for a while, and I guessed it was only for a very brief moment, even though it felt like minutes.

"Hayden, I don't think I have seen you on this stage before, am I right?"

I nodded. "Yes." I discretely wiped my clammy hands on my trousers, hating my nervousness. _There is nothing to worry about,_ I kept reminding myself.

"And you're going to play the piano, aren't you?"

"Yes. I'm going to play a part of Debussy. Clair de Lune," I said.

"Well, let's give him a great applause! Good luck, Hayden!" The principal walked off the stage, and I sat down on the stool. I put my fingers on the right keys, and softly played the first notes. Once I had begun, I found myself completely immersed in the music, as if I was playing it by heart. I felt like I was alone, the spotlight marking my territory, and nothing else really mattered. I only played and played, feeling the music from within, and felt adrenaline rush through my veins every time I played a crescendo.

Before I knew it, I had played the last notes of the song, and I was pulled out of my mind by the cheering and the applauding of the audience. There were many people who even stood up, giving him a stand ovation. I couldn't help but grin, still feeling very excited.

I stood up, and gave one wave to the audience before I walked from the stage while the principal said: "Hayden Haddock, people!"

Now that my performance was over, I sat down on a chair, relieved that I had made it. I was still shaking slightly, but now it was of happiness instead of nerves. I truly did it! I couldn't believe it! And the reaction of the audience had given me a boost as well. I never thought that people would applaud that much for me. It left me speechless, and I was happy the principal didn't make a chat at the end of the act as well.

It was another half an hour before the last act finished, and then the jury had to decide who won. It was after ten minutes that the principal announced that the jury had made a decision, and suddenly everyone backstage shushed and listened intently to what the principal said next.

"On third place is…" she held a small pause before saying loudly: "Kevin Adams with his stand-up comedy act!"

Kevin, a boy who was in my history class, jumped in the air before running towards the stage.

"Well done, Kevin! Well done!" the principal said.

"And now, on second place is… Hayden Haddock!" I couldn't believe it. Second place! I never even intended to go for a prize, even though Fred and Astrid said that I'd definitely deserved one.

Remembering that I had to go on the stage again, I quickly made my way towards it. Again, I was greeted by cheering, and with a smile I accepted the trophy the principal gave me after shaking my hand. "Good job," he said, and I nodded before I went to stand next to Kevin.

"On first place is…" I had no idea who it was going to be. Everyone was so amazing!

"Emily Smith!" the principal stated loudly, and the audience erupted in cheers again. Emily darted on the stage, a beaming smile on her face, and she raised the trophy in the air once she got it, showing it to the audience.

I was truly happy for Emily, she deserved it.

"Well everyone, that was it for this years Talent Show. We hope to see you all again for the 28th edition next year!"

The audience clapped again while we made our way backstage. Once there, I was caught of guard when Astrid ran up to me and hugged me tight.

"I knew you could do it! I'm so proud!" she said, and after one more squeeze, she let go. Fred, who had followed her, put his arm around my shoulders, a proud smile featuring his face. "You did great!" he said happily, and then made room for Astrid's parents to congratulate my. Like her daughter, Lisa Hofferson hugged me tight, while Evan Hofferson clapped me on my shoulder. I couldn't have felt more happier than then. Surrounded by friends and honorary family, all proud of him. It was something he had missed since the accident.

Lisa let go of me, and held me by both my upper arms softly.

"There's someone else for you here," she said, and smiled warmly.

I found myself wondering who that could be, but a single word gave me the answer:

"Son."


	9. Do (Epilogue)

**A/N:**

**This is my SECOND update, so if you haven't read chapter Ti, I suggest you do that now :P**

**So... The last chapter, the epilogue. I wrote this story to get my mind off of the sequel for Quiet After the Storm for a bit, and I guess it worked! So now I'll continue writing for the sequel, and I hope I'll be able to post the first chapter soon!**

**Thank you for all your support, not only by reviewing, but also by following, favoring or just reading this story. It means really much to me!**

**I hope you'll enjoy the last chapter, even though it's a tad bit (okay, very) short... (Well I did say before that the chapters sometimes won't be as long as I normally write...)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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><p><em>Do you remember when I asked if things would be different if you could change just one thing? And do you remember that I wished that one thing would be preventing that truck from ever existing?<em>

_Well, I don't think I want that anymore. I think that everything has its purpose, and that the things that happen to use and those we love happen for a reason, and that we can only get stronger from it._

_It took a lot of time for me to realize it, but now I do, and I don't think I could've been happier._

_Sure, I missed my mother a lot, and I often wish that she was still with us, that will never change. But I got great friends who support me through thick and thin, something I didn't have before. And I think that me and my dad grew a lot closer once we got over our problems. We found ourself in each other, by the same loss we shared._

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><p>"Son." I turned around at the sound of my father's voice, and there he stood. Tall and pride, and I recognized him as the father I had known my whole live, not the father who had hit me in a drunken rage.<p>

He spread his arms, and I ran into them without thinking. I hugged him tightly, although I didn't think he would feel much, since I wasn't very strong.

My dad put his arms around me and laid his head softly on mine, his nose in my hair.

"Hayden, I am so sorry. For everything," he said softly. And I knew he meant it. He hadn't even needed to say it, since I could see it in his eyes, which I inherited.

"I know, dad," I said, slightly muffled because I had my face pressed in his clothes.

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><p>"I don't think I've been happier than that. Astrid's parent's helped dad a lot, and he didn't lose his job, so our lives could continue like it had before all this mess. I sometimes still can't believe how my life turned out to be. I mean, I used to be the outcast who was bullied almost non-stop at school, and no-one could help me because I hid it from everyone close - even you. And I am so sorry for that now, because I know you would have been there for me. Dad still doesn't know, but now that it doesn't matter anymore, I don't think I'm going to tell him anymore. I mean, it's over now, I don't get beaten and bullied anymore, so why bother? I don't want to open old wounds.<p>

But as I said, I'm glad for what I've got and who I've got now. Everything that has happened, it has turned me in a better person, I think. My friends, and the Talent Show helped boost my confidence, and I think that everyone starts to see the real Hayden, the real _me_, now.

I hope you're proud. Of us, of my dad, of me. Because I think I am. And you know what? I think you were right all along, mom. My song is indeed beautiful."

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><p><strong>AN:**

**I guess that's it...**

**Happy Sinterklaas everyone!**


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